What is GPA ?

foxdie
Sun, 06 May 2007 05:39:05 +0000

in calculating your GPA you also have to take account for credit amounts.
(though most courses are 3 credits so it doesn’t change it alot, I just feel like explaining…)

Extending juniorita’s example:

Biology (4 credits):A-
Math (4 credits):A+
English (3 credits):C+
Spanish (3 credits):B+
Art (2 credits):A+

Vast majority of colleges have:
A+/A: 4.0
A-: 3.7
B+: 3.3
B: 3.0
B-: 2.7
C+: 2.3
C: 2.0
C-: 1.7 etc…

so, Biology is (3.74=14.8)
Math (44=16)
English (2.73=8.1)
Spanish (3.33=9.9)
Art (4*2=8)

Then add up the scores (56.8) and divide by number of credits (16) and you get 3.55. Usually time-intensive courses or courses with alot of material will be more than 3 credits and those with less will be less than 3 credits. So classes with more credits will effect your GPA more.

This (3.55) would be your cummulative GPA if these are all the courses you have taken so far. Sometimes people also calculate their major GPA (i.e. if your degree was in Biology then at this point it would be 3.7)



Other question: is a grad school really necessary/good idea (for ex, to obtain a masters degree) if my purpose is to work not in academia but industry afterwards ?

In terms of the libearl arts (non-professional) you will notice that US colleges offer very few terminal masters degrees, instead offering only PhD programs. (Unlike in the UK, etc where many colleges offer Masters for everything from English to Zoology.) This is partly because US undergrad degrees traditionally take 4 years to complete.

So a masters degree isn’t as common or as necessary. Of course for professional programs (med school, business school, law school) or fields requiring more quantitiative study (masters in engineering), grad degrees can be an advantage or absolutely necessary.